Man in custody in Lacee Shupe slaying

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The man suspected of killing former Gardnerville resident Lacee Nicole Shupe, 22, has been taken into custody by Washoe County detectives.

Cold Springs resident Robert Michael Owens Jr., 41, is in custody at the Washoe County Detention Facility in the murder of Shupe and attempted murder of roommate Joshua Able, 39. Owens was arrested on Tuesday after he was released from the hospital, according to Washoe County Public Information Officer Bob Harmon.

Harmon said that Able may also have been released from the hospital. Able left the house during the attack and sought help from neighbors by knocking on doors. Harmon said that when Able returned, he was locked out of the house.

According to the preliminary investigation, Owens attacked Shupe and Able, causing significant injuries with a sharp object.

Owens allegedly injured himself with the object. Shupe succumbed to her injuries. Several possible weapons found in the house include a razor, knives and a hatchet.

“I don’t have any more detail than that,” Harmon said.

Investigators also aren’t releasing information about any relationship between the three, besides that they were roommates.

The initial cause of death is believed to be sharp force trauma, however a final determination is pending from the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The incident was discovered when Washoe sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of suspicious circumstances in the 17100 block of Crystal Canyon Court in Cold Springs 5:30 a.m. July 1.

The Sheriff’s Office asks that anyone with information about these individuals or the incident contact the Washoe County Sheriff’s Detective Division at (775) 328-3320 or Secret Witness at (775) 322-4900.

Shupe was a 2009 graduate of Douglas High School, where she had been active in FFA and SkillsUSA. Nearly 400 mourners packed Valley Christian Fellowship for her memorial service.